Introduction

A ‘quiet revolution’ is occurring in Vocational Education and Training. ‘Quiet’ because the depth and breadth of change has hardly been noticed outside Further Education, effectively eclipsed by the magnitude of change taking place in schools. That change continues to excite public and media interest. Whilst I do not want to minimize the far reaching consequences and the importance of change occurring in the schools sector, urgent public attention needs to be directed to the vast panoply of change which is occurring or about to occur in what until now has frequently been referred to as the ‘Cinderella’ of the system, Further Education. And a similar spotlight needs to be focused on the Industrial Training.